Browsing by Author "Aguiar, Roberto"
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- Agro-industrial byproducts as modification enhancers of the bacterial cellulose biofilm surface properties: an inverse chromatography approachPublication . Faria, Marisa; Mohammadkazemi, Fatemeh; Aguiar, Roberto; Cordeiro, NereidaBacterial cellulose (BC) has remarkable and excellent properties. However, the high-cost production and the use of chemicals for BC modification make its application unattractive. A simple approach to modify the properties of BC during biosynthesis, by using alternative low-cost carbon sources from agro-industrial byproducts, was studied. The carbon source (date syrup, mannitol, sucrose, food-grade sucrose, and glucose) significantly changed the BC network morphology and structure. Date syrup source induces the highest modifications in the surface properties of BC: smaller area (SBET = 4.04 m2 /g), higher hydrophobic (γd s = 45.79 mJ/ m2 ) and basic character (Kb/Ka = 1.10), at 25 ºC. Food-grade sucrose source resulted in the lowest yield of BC production (37% less), however caused an increase in the BC network reticulation and a high crystalline structure (IC = 82.3%). This sustainable and simple methodology presents a low-cost and efficient approach allowing the modulation of the surface properties of BC.
- Influence of crop system fruit quality, carotenoids, fatty acids and phenolic compounds in cherry tomatoesPublication . Fernandes, Igor; Leça, João M.; Aguiar, Roberto; Fernandes, Tomásia; Marques, José C.; Cordeiro, NereidaTomato is one of the most consumed vegetables in the world, and its intake is known to be beneficial for human health. The nutritional quality of tomato is connected with numerous factors namely the cultivation system. To achieve the highest fruit quality and yield, the cherry tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill. var. Moscatel RZ) was cultivated in three cultivation systems and its nutritional quality was evaluated. The highest fruit productivity, 2135–2240 g plant-1 dry weight (dw), was observed for the cherry tomatoes grown in the soilless systems. The cherry tomato from the hydroponic culture had the highest protein (13.41% dw), lipid (3.20% dw), sugar (354.94 mg g-1 dw) and taste index (1.24). It also comprised high amounts of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids, like oleic (1.28 mg g-1 dw) and linoleic acids (5.42 mg g-1 dw). With respect to cherry tomato from the organic culture, higher contents of carotenoids—lycopene (47.1 mg kg-1 dw) and polyphenols (56.7 mg GAE 100 g-1 dw) were verified. Flavonoids were the main family of phenolic compounds found in the cherry tomato. The highest levels of chalconaringenin (51.95 mg 100 g-1 dw) and rutin (39.69 mg 100 g-1 dw) were observed in the cherry tomatoes cultivated through organic practices. This study shows that the agronomic system greatly influences the different characteristics associated with fruit quality. Hydroponic cultures presented higher quality, namely texture and taste, while the higher amounts of bioactive compounds were found in the organic culture.